OldBoy

i don't think she was pure "evil" at all. Richard Jenkins seemed to really care for her, he was tired of the life for sure, but

Mr. Salty

Evil, "pure" or otherwise, would probably be pretty good at concealing its true intentions and manipulating people.

Dr Mabuse

I really liked this. Another take on a very good story.

My only complaint was going with poorly done CGI in a couple of scenes where actual human movements by the actress would have been far better.


Both are good films, but the Swedish film... just captured lightning in a bottle. There's something really special about that film and the young actors in the leads, and I would have to say it is the superior version.

GenPion

I'm not sure if everyone would feel as though the first film displays that ideas as a "sure thing". However, I certainly share your sentiments, and felt the US version had a lot more depth behind the story. I strongly urge you to see Let Me In.

GenPion

The CGI was my only major complaint with the film as well. However, I think it is worth noting that the first one had pretty bad CGI too. So either version is bound to be disappointing for most viewers in that regard.

Rival11

How anyone could say this movie is weak is out of their damn minds.

This may just be the first time I like both the original and remake the same.

The original obviously had a huge impact on Reeves so much so to the point where he added some serious TLC to the most memorable scenes from it.

And just like the original, it kept a solid medium burn pace...something I'm glad to see in both versions.

Very pleased with this one.

riotinmyskull

i'm a big fan of the original so i went into this expecting the worst. to my surprise i really enjoyed it almost as much as the original. i think the only weak part of the remake is that it relies too heavily on the aesthetic that the original created. regardless, the cinematography was flawless and the performances were all strong. i'll gladly pick up the blu-ray once it reaches the $10 price point.

i'd really like to see matt reeves direct an original horror film sometime in the future.

notkevinbacon

Loved Let the Right One In, so I was hesitant to see this one. When all is said and done, Let Me In is a competently made flick, in fact, very much so. I'm conflicted, as the remake is pretty much pointless and while it is done so well, it's not nearly as effective as the original. It's obvious that despite saying the movie is another interpretation of the novel, it is heavily inspired by LtROI.

The performances are all solid... when it comes to the kid actors Kodi Smit-McPhee was really good in this one, but I wasn't as into Chloe Moretz. I do like her and I think she does alright here, but the casting is off. She looks too much like an adolescent girl... she just appears physically more grownup than the prepubescent Owen. Eli, in the book and LtROI is a castrated boy, not a girl and it's debatable if that certain plot element is part of this film. There is a deleted scene from Let Me In that's a flashback where Abby is turned into a vampire and she's obviously a little girl when it happens. I prefer the book and original movie's history of Eli/Abby. It's open to interpretation in Reeve's film (minus the deleted scene), but you'd really have to have prior knowledge of the story to understand it.

Other things that bugged me... the movie is far less subtle, the ending pool scene is completely botched IMHO and I really didn't like the vampire face/effects on Abby.

On a plus note, the serial killer element of Richard Jenkins character is pretty creepy and effective (just a nice touch). The car scene at the gas station is brilliant, just brilliant. I like both takes on the Hakan character in the movies. Neither better, nor worse really. I also liked how Let Me In focused more on the kids and well, the movie is sans cat scene.

In the end, Let the Right One In is superior film. Better mood and atmosphere, more restraint, quirk and originality in the script (I live right here, in the jungle gym) and better casting of the child roles (modestly, the kids are good in LMI). Overall just more thoughtful and haunting.

Let Me In is slick and pretty (which it draws from the original, both films are gorgeous) and worth a watch for apprehensive fans of the first but I'm going to be recommending LtROI first and LMI as "additional reading."

Rypro 525

I really liked this as well (like most here, am a huge fan of the original). The car shot/scene was fantastic

Dan

Agree on the car scene. Very inspired.

joe_b

I finished the novel yesterday and I didn't find this to be the case. Almost everything that was in the Swedish film appeared in the novel in some form, while anything new in the remake was a change from both the book and the original film. No additional scene or subplot from the novel that wasn't already in the Swedish film appears in the remake.

Perhaps you could consider...That's why I was slightly annoyed to see Reeve's gushing about what an influence the book was to his movie, with no mention of Alfredson's film. The featurette on the blu-ray makes it seem as though Reeve's made this amazing discovery with Lindqvist's book and was determined to adapt it to the screen with his unique vision. There were several cool unused subplots and character beats he could have added straight from the book that I feel would have translated well to the screen.

SPOILERS FROM THE BOOK:
I have to agree with the view that the CG on Abby during the attack scenes was complete overkill. It only served to make what could have been effective scenes of horror look cheap and unintentionally funny. One thing I did love about the remake was Kodi Smit-McPhee's performance. He came off as more sympathetic than the Oskar from the book (who considered he might one day become a serial killer and had a habit of shoplifting). The Oskar from the Swedish film was portrayed as more introverted and awkward -- perhaps even borderline autistic, as one reviewer here put it. Both films removed some of the elements from the novel that might have cast the character in a less than favorable light to a movie-going audience.

Maxflier

Just watched this last night and I can't even put into words right now how much I loved this movie.

RichC2

Reeves has been tapped to do the new Twilight Zone movie... I have to say they chose correctly, kind of funny that studios can still judge work for its quality instead of just how much it makes.

That car shot is amazing.

riotinmyskull

have you seen the original?

Maxflier

No, but I intend to at some point.

musick

old thread bump

I remember watching Let The Right One In and wondering what all they hype was about
Years later I saw this [Let Me In] on one of the movie channels and felt I enjoyed it more than the original
Now tonight the original was airing on one of the movie channels and I was dvr'ing it to watch later but I started to revisit some of it and was amazed at how good it was (and how well shot it was)
I look forward to watching LTROI again from start to finish but if anything I think the remake gave me a new appreciation for the original

Why So Blu?

Loved the original, but if the original one hadn't existed, I would have actually liked Let Me In much more. The direction is fine, but the original was much more evocative.